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# A Descending Jazz Line
Here's a useful lick that you can use over an A dominant chord. It's based on A mixolydian, with some chromatic passing tones.
### The Line
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzYqGTxk3w4
### The A Mixolydian Scale
The Mixolydian mode is the `5th` mode of the major scale and occurs frequently in jazz and blues tunes. It can also be thought of as a major scale with a flattened `7th`.
vextab
options player=true
tabstave notation=true key=A
notes :q 7/4 $.medium.A7$ 4-6-7/3 5-7-8/2 5/1
Here's a useful fingering for A Mixolydian in 5th position with some common passing tones (in red). The passing tones used here are the `major 7` to move between the `b7` and `root`, the `b2` to move between `root` and `2nd`, and `b6` between `p5` and `6th`.
fretboard
show frets=7 string=6
show frets=4,5,7 string=5
show frets=4,5 string=4
show frets=4,6,7 string=3
show frets=5,7,8 string=2
show frets=5,7 string=1
show frets=5 string=6 text=R
show frets=7 string=4 text=R
show frets=5 string=1 text=R
show frets=6 string=6 color=#b66
show frets=6 string=2 color=#b66
show frets=6 string=4 color=#b66
show frets=4,6 string=1 color=#b66
Remember to practice your lines such that the passing tones fall on the weak beats, as is typical in bebop.
### The Tab
And, here's the tablature. If you read it carefully, you'll notice that it's actually one pattern played twice, each in a different octave.
vextab
options player=true tempo=90
tabstave notation=true key=A
notes :16 [ 10p7-8h9/1 ] $.medium.A9, , , $ [ 10/2 8s7/1 10/2 ] [ 9/2 7/1 8/2 9/3 ]
notes [ 7s6s:8:5/2 ]
tabstave notation=true key=A
notes :16 [ 7p4-5h6/3 ] [ 7/4 5s4/3 7/4 ] [ 6/4 4/3 5/4 7/5 ]
notes [ 4s3s:8:2/4 ] | :h (7/2.6/3.5/4.5/6)v $.medium.A13$ $.italic.let ring$
### Practice Notes
Practice with a metronome and repeat the line in the original key until you can play it comfortably and clearly. Then transpose to a few other keys and positions, slowly incorporating it into your improvisation.
To really absorb the line, practise varying it rhythmically and experimenting with different articulations.